Last modified: 2012-02-10
Abstract
In this paper we introduce an experiential product-model called the “Peel model”, and showcase how it can be applied as a tool for innovation. The Peel model depicts different layers of a product, going from tangible layers to intangible, with the product experience in the top layers. (Peel is short for Product ExperiencE Layers). The model builds on the idea of dividing the experience into smaller – but interdependent - layers, similarly to the research of Garret (2002) and Lerdahl (2001). A benefit of using the model is that it enables a more deliberate approach to innovation at different levels. In some cases you might want radical innovation – a totally new experience – working with the top layers of the Peel model. In other cases you want to maintain the experience as it is, and the type of innovation you want comes from the lower levels, i.e. a new shape or new materials.
The model also enables transferring experiential concepts from one product and assigning it to another, which – as this paper explains – can be very fruitful as a tool for innovation. We showcase an experiment done with a group of design students, where they first used the model to analyze the experience of the Beosound 3000 stereo from Bang and Olufsen. They identified concepts such as the welcome where the stereo opens by a simple hand gesture, and transferred that concept to other product types, generating ideas about how a lamp for instance could provide a similar experience of welcoming the user.
References:
Garrett, J.J., 2002. The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web, Peachpit Press.
Lerdahl, E., 2001. Staging for creative collaboration in design teams. Models, tools and methods. Doctoral thesis. Department of Product Design Engineering, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.